Making Freemasonry Relevant, by Arthur Peterson

The young member of the fraternity today is much different than the member of yesterday.

Yesterday's Mason came to the fraternity mainly for the camaraderie it offered. Most served in WWII, the Korean War, and some even in Vietnam. They came to Freemasonry to have the feeling of comradery the had in military service. Freemasonry prospered during this time because it offered exactly what the young men of that era were seeking. While we may see an influx of members joining today for those same reasons due to the war in Iraq, they are not our primary source of new members.

So, what does today's American Mason want?

Today's American Masons are a very mixed group of men. Some come from single-parent households, most come from non religious families, and many have a different concept of morality than their older counterparts: the missing aspect of what these men are joining the fraternity for is meaning.

Freemasonry has always held a claim to the secrets of the divine, though this has often been down played by the Grand Lodges due to pressures from the religious right-wing. Publically, Freemasonry has always claimed to be a fraternity and nothing more. This has not stopped the conspiracy theorists and Hollywood from giving the impression that the fraternity is much more than we let on. Young men are coming to the fraternity because of these portrayals. They hunger for answers they have not found in life. They have lost faith in organised religion, they have lost faith in society, and many have lost faith in their families. They turn to the mysteries of the craft to renew their faith in all of these things.

Do these young men find the answers they are looking for within the Temples of Freemasonry? Sadly, no.

For one, they are no longer called temples in most places.

Outside pressures have caused the craft to de-emphasize the spiritual aspects and focus almost exclusively on just being a fraternity and charity.

Schools of instruction are often limited to nothing more than rehearsal of ritual.

Gone are the days of discussing the symbolism in open lodge.

Long forgotten is the spiritual development of the Mason. Regrettably, the prestige of being Freemason, is but a faded memory in the collective unconsciousness of society.

This is not to say that the work the craft does is not noble work. However, it is not the reason why young men are joining the fraternity today. They are joining for the exact reason Freemasonry is here, "to learn to improve myself".

No amount of charity work, ritual rehearsal, or memorisation of the lectures is going to accomplish that goal. Only by a deep understanding of the signs and symbols of the craft can we awaken the inner spirit to the degree necessary to enact true positive change in an individual. The only way to get that understanding is by discussing them, contemplating them, and from careful guidance from our more enlightened Brothers.

If Freemasonry intends to be relevant to todays man, she must look back to the days of enlightenment to find her foundation as an institute of the most sublime teachings and regain her place in this world as the keeper of universal truth.

If she does not, someone else will.

We are seeing this today with the strong presence on the internet of clandestine groups. The Grand Orient of France, LDH, Co-Masonry, and various off-shoots of regular Freemasonry are out there--promising to deliver that which we are not. They are selling the product we have, but do not utilise.

Freemasonry must step up to the plate and offer wisdom to those who are seeking it. Failing to do so will result in our demise as we are replaced by these clandestine organisations.

Freemasonry is many things to many people. Unfortunately, to most, she is irrelevant.

How do we change that?